I’d like to respond to last week’s Case of the Month about the New York company that agreed as part of an OSHA settlement to dock the pay of supervisors who don’t act safely. Holding supervisors accountable for doing their job would reduce reporting.

97% of people in the workplace are doing what they think their supervisor wants. If they're acting unsafely, it’s because:1) the supervisor wants that; 2) the supervisor hasn't clearly communicated his expectation; or 3) the supervisor isn’t holding employees accountable for following safety standards the same way he holds them accountable to following other performance standards.

All three are supervision issues. A large number of so-called 'safety problems' are in fact NOT safety problems: They’re safety SYMPTOMS of training or performance problems.

Hank Roberts
Corporate Safety Manager
Environmental Management Services
Baton Rouge, LA

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